SA formally signs Murray water plan

SOUTH Australia has formally signed the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which Premier Jay Weatherill says will deliver certainty for the state's irrigators and river communities.

The intergovernmental agreement with the commonwealth and other basin states outlines how all jurisdictions will work together to deliver the plan to manage the river system.

"The state government is committed to a healthy and resilient future for the River Murray system," Mr Weatherill said.

"The Murray-Darling Basin Plan will ultimately return 3200 gigalitres of water to the river system, which will be critical to maintain the health of the river's floodplains and the internationally-recognised wetlands of the Coorong, lower lakes and Murray mouth region."

River Murray Minister Ian Hunter said the state government would now move forward with an implementation strategy until 2019, when the plan takes full effect.

Opposition environment spokeswoman Michelle Lensink called on the government to release details on how local irrigators could access extra federal funding under the new agreement.

"Whilst the state Liberals welcome the additional $445 million in federal funding, concerns in how this will be allocated and more importantly, when, is of great concern," she said.